Chapter 21

Wall Street Global was in a small office building, a converted brownstone. They held the entire bottom floor with 6 good size offices and a long narrow conference room. When Selena went in the receptionist seemed relieved to see her, as it was probably the only appointment for the day.

"I hope they didn't bring you in today just to greet me." Selena asked her.

"Well, we work on Sundays, just not this early. We usually come in from 4 until 8 at night to summarize overseas trading since Friday. I do e-mails, fax, and telex and I'm usually home early. You must be the famous Selena they talk about. I'm Deneigh, and I'll be your administrative assistant. Well, I'm everyone's. Once you get here I'll no longer be the youngest one in the office. I know you may think of the boys, as I call them, as stodgy, but they're pretty cool guys once they loosen their ties. You're a bit early, but you can go in the conference room." Deneigh said as she led into walnut walled room with the long table.

One chair had a set-up of papers and a new leather valise, with Selena Hanson inscribed on it, ready for her.

"Sit here and wait. I can assure that they will all come in together, precisely on time. Good Luck. They obviously expect you to do fine." She said, touching the new engraved valise.

Selena felt relieved to see the gift on the table, taking it as a sign that they were already happy with her progress, but she wanted to take nothing for granted.

At precisely 11:00 a.m. a door opened and 5 distinguished men strode in and took places, standing beside the table. Selena stood up and they each introduced themselves as if they had never met."

"John Braniff"

"J. Trace Fountain"

"Willis Menard"

"Charles Ford"

"and I'm Ross Curran, Miss Hanson. Please have a seat." The last said after each stated their name and nodded toward Selena.

They all sat and each pulled notes from their inside pockets and Selena took notes from her own valise.

Ross Curran, obviously the spokesman, spoke first.

"The curriculum and personality summaries from your professors are glowing, young lady, and you should be very proud of the way you have conducted yourself and kept you studies and commitment to us and yourself. Knowing that as you finish this year at school you need to plan for your future, we want to give you every impression that you will join us soon after your graduation. The application of your studies to your papers and special assignments that we have directed through Polytech is as if we had written thesis with our policies in mind ourselves. Now if can make yourself comfortable, each of my colleagues has a few words for you and questions as well. John Branniff will explain our mission statement and some of our expectations of you."

Selena sat attentively, yet nervous as she heard statements from each of the partners, as well as questions. She surprised herself at the readiness of her answers, as if she knew the questions they planned to ask. She was happy that the think tank offered no right or wrong answers to its clients, just level headed advise and course straightening. Policy they directed also set the sails and rudder of the largest of the stockholders on Wall Street, which in turn trickled down throughout the markets.

In the middle of the third partners statement and questions, Selena interrupted Willis Menard.

"If I may ask you all a question. Once I have sat in daily policy and direction meetings and discussions for a period you say is 6 months I will be accepted as a full governing partner, is that correct?" She asked.

"We have told you that before and spent nearly a quarter million dollars on your education and well being to that end. Do you doubt that?" Ross Curran asked almost indignantly.

"No, no please. Don't get the wrong impression. I would just like to be referred to as Selena, or at its most formal, and certainly unnecessary, Ms Hanson. You've all referred to me as "young lady", and I'm beginning to feel like Shirley Temple." She said with a grin.

Willis Menard chuckled and stood to finish his questions, but before he did he reached across the table offering his hand. "Selena, I'm Willis, welcome."

Each of the other partners did the same and suddenly it all became less formal, a large ice curtain broken down.

By the time the fourth partner finished, Selena was very comfortable and knew that working with these brilliant financial minds was going to be a great experience.

When the forum came around to Ross Curran again he said he would hold his comments until after she made her summarizing statements of her questions, expectations and fears.

Nervously she stood and with a small index card on the edge of the table she delivered an impressive address, seeming to end with a thank you for the confidence they had shown in her. She then pushed the card away and said she had something else she must tell them about her life. She went on to explain about the biggest change in her life, she had fallen in love and planned to be wed. She explained that it had no bearing on her commitment to them, that her intended was as excited about her future as she. Then she explained who she was in love with, his connection to the markets, his business and the laundry list of activities he had her involved in with the markets. In finishing she said,...

"I know to some it may seem that I have a conflicting interest in my daily decisions here to the point where I might have to recuse myself because of my relationship with a trader, a worker of the markets. I have thought about scenario after scenario where my work on this board, or think tank, might lead me to shade something a matching color to the interests of my fiancé or husband. I cannot think of one thing I could do or say that would make a bit of difference with anything."

Ross Curran sat back in his chair and clasped his hands together. His old eyes peered out over the fingers at her.

"I can say that we are all glad that you told us about your relationship with Mr. Johnson. We're especially glad because we already knew about him, he's a very successful trader at what he does. You telling us makes us sure that you have nothing to hide. But as far as making decisions that might color his portfolio, or your personal investments," he paused... "We also do not see a problem with your relationship." He said with a smile as he sat up straight and grinned at her.

Selena let out a deep breath she had been holding and smiled at him.

"Your smile will be a breath of fresh air after looking at these old farts for the past 20 years." J Trace Fountain expounded with a kidding smile to his mates.

Ross Curran sat up immediately and shook a finger towards her.

"Please do not think that the fact you are female, young or happen to be pretty had anything to do with your selection. When we chose the candidates from our search committee we knew neither age, race or sex. You should know that each one of us here are all victims of misreading the market or trends that eventually led us to a path of financial ruin. That's how this forum started, using our knowledge to help others from making gross miscalculations based on sound tracking. Your friend, Mr. Johnson would have been selected himself had he not been such a veteran of the markets. You see, he's a bit of a hero to us. We've watched his trend setting and trend reads for a while now, seeing how others may try to follow him. We've used him as a barometer." Curran finished, knowing he had stunned her with the revelation they knew of her love.

"People who deal in the number of stocks he does, not so much as their dollar value, but I reiterate, the NUMBER, are not lost on us. It's all a part of the matrix we use, as you will see when you sit at the board. We are paid nice sums of money by our clients to know and recognize good roads and bad roads, to know when a path is going to become a highway, or if its going to be over grown with the weeds of poor decisions and bad money." Charles Ford said as he leaned over the huge table towards her and seemed to be taking her in his confidence.

Her admission of the relationship with Joe Johnson broke a lot of ice and led to her immediate acceptance into the group, it seemed. By the time they broke up the meeting, she already felt a part of the group, glad that each of them, she included, were able to accept the different paths and cultures they came from to get here.

Before they adjourned they reminded her that she must keep her studies up to be sure their marquee of her credentials was fitting of their clients trust and money. They also made sure she knew that her reputation would become theirs and vice-versa, that "conduct befitting" as always part of the whole equation. She assured them that she was fully aware of her position and that her conduct reflected directly to her position. She also assured them that they nothing to worry about.

They showed her, as a group, like a bunch of doting uncles to the door to the anteroom where she would wait for Joe and his driver to come and get her. She buzzed a pager the driver had given her and waited for them to arrive.

As she sat there in the empty office she began to swell with pride over her accomplishments and the way she conducted herself today. By the time they showed her the way out she was on a first name basis with each of them and was discussing world financial events with them. They each became so involved and enamored with her knowledge and personality they at times forgot that she was not quite yet one of them. That was when one would remind her about conduct, grades, etc.

Working here with these learned men who would treat her as an equal made her so happy she could not wait to share her joy with Joe. He had accomplished so much, and now she had a feather for her own cap and she felt the pride he had known. She kept pinching herself wondering if the group was patronizing her, but she felt quite sure that what she felt was genuine respect for her knowledge and what she could contribute.

A knock came to the door and it opened with the driver offering his hand to help her down the steps. She brushed the hand away and ran down the steps to the car with the driver following pursuit so he could open her door.

She dove inside the car next to Joe, wrapping her arms around him, crying with joy.

"I've made it, I've made it, Joey! They love me they all but cut me my first paycheck! I know I've got to work hard this last year, but this is all going to be good. I'm going to spend a month of the summer interning if I want. Thank you so much for everything you did for me! God, I love you so much!" She babbled.

"Whoa, whoa! I didn't do anything. It was you who did it all! You're the one who made all this happen!" He said as held her tight and spoke into her ear.

She broke the hug and looked him in the eye.

"You were so right about coming clean about my relationship with you. It was the second smartest thing I've ever done in my life!" She bubbled.

"Ha ha, what was the first smartest?" He said as he re-hugged her in their joy.

"The night I came to your door at 2 in the morning to bawl you out for dumping me. That night I knew fear as the hair on the back of my neck rose when I rang your bell, but I knew I would regret it forever if I didn't do it. I got that same feeling today as I ran my thoughts over and over in my head. GOD! They know who you are and what you do and even watch some of your moves to adjust their financial barometers. You're a... a... a legend! That's it!" she said excitedly as she sat back in the seat gleaming to Joe.

"You should have seen old Ross glaring at me as I explained my financial relationship with you, and my romantic relationship with you. I told them, getting ready to be defensive, that I didn't see any reason to recuse myself because of my relationship. Then he looked over his glasses, over his fingertips he had pressed together in front of his face (as she sat back with her hands held in mock fashion and puffing up her jowls to imitate him), "Well, neither do we!" It was great! I wanted to jump across the table and kiss him! Then from that point on I guess they knew they were dealing with a straight shooter because they turned from a bunch of old farts into, umm... like my uncles! They stopped patronizing me. God they were calling me "young lady". When Ross and the rest of them showed me out we were all handshakes and hugs. They had to prepare for a session at 4 o'clock or I think I'd still be in there." Selena went on and on.

Wait, you call Ross Curran, Ross? Did you say "old Ross"? He's one of the most influential men on Wall Street, a veteran testifier before Senators, a Greenspan confidant and you're on a first name basis with him? There are people he deals with every day that would kiss his ass in Macy's window to call him "Ross". These guys must have liked you." Joe said amazed.

"When the talk got to finances and trends it was like one of our conversations. I knew everything they talked about and jumped right in with them exchanging ideas. Then after that it was like they were trying to quiz me. Before you knew it they were talking in future tense about when I got on board, when I start and like that. Then Ross or Trace or John Branniff would remind me that I still needed to continue my grades and keep my nose clean until I got there, but they all loved the idea of young blood, new ideas, new slants and probably a woman too. The one guy, Ford, I think his name was?"

She looked at him quizzically.

"Edward Ford? Jeepers Selena, he's owned half the property in Manhattan at one time or another; lost a half billion in the markets and made back twice that much! He's a legend, not me!" Joe interjected.

"Well, anyway," Selena said unimpressed, "He said that my being there would inspire all of them to new heights in ideas and insights. He couldn't stop smiling. God, I have to make sure I don't get too over confidant, but I'm so excited!"

As their car pulled back into the 4 Seasons promenade Joe took her hands.

"How does this sound? We see a show tonight, stay here and our driver gets us at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning and we train upstate. We can be home before noon and we can spend the rest of the day getting re-settled, seeing your parents, maybe go to dinner with them, and I'll have you back in your dorm by 8 or 9 for morning classes?" Joe suggested.

"Ugh!! Reality! My dream vacation ends. I guess that sounds good; as long as I'm with you. You're not going to hear any arguments about just living with you now, huh?" She said hopefully.

"You know it's what I want but we made commitments to your parents and to ourselves, and you just made a commitment to your future to keep focused on your studies. We have a lifetime together to look forward too, besides the summer, and if you come here to intern, I'll be here most all of the time with you. I promise." Joe said as he got out of the car and took her hand.

Selena heard the last words and sprung up to hug him around the neck lifting her feet from the ground.

"YOU ARE the most wonderful man!!" She shouted as it echoed under the canopy.

Joe whisked her inside the hotel and to the elevators. As they passed the Concierge station Joseph intercepted them.

"Excuse me Mr. Johnson, I did get 2 on the floor for Miss Saigon for this evening for you. I apologize that is not your first choice, but I can tell you from my own experience, it is quite good." He informed them.

"Joseph, that is quite fine indeed. Arrange the car and let me know what time, OK?" Joe said, looking to Selena for approval.

"Mr. Johnson I took the liberty of arranging that already and your car will be here at 6:15 sharp. I'll call for you a bit after 6, OK?" He asked.

"That's perfect, Joseph." Joe said as the elevator door closed.

Selena looked at Joe with starry eyes as they went up to their suite.

"You do the rich continental guy very well Joe. We could live like this couldn't we?" She asked holding his arm.

"Well to live here I would have to go back to work after a few months, but yes I like being treated like Joseph treats me, and you can be assured he is taken care of quite well, and we ARE friends. I told you he is putting on his regular shtick for you. This city is so crazy, I like to be pampered and taken care of when I'm here. It makes the city bearable." Joe said as the door opened and they walked to their suite.

Just as they opened the door to the suite the service elevator opened and a man in a chef's hat and a cart wheeled toward their door. Joe smiled and showed him in.

"Sunday dinner?" he asked her.

She smiled and went to wash her hands as Joe showed the waiter how to set up the table for them. While Joe washed up as well the chef sliced turkey from a breast and then took off his Chefs hat and served the turkey with all the trimmings. As soon as the wine was poured Joe excused the waiter and told him they could handle it from there.

They ate and talked over dinner as they both ate heartily, this being their first full meal since the previous evening. They then retired to the drawing room and Joe switched on the TV to watch a Sunday financial show.

Joe sat on the love seat and Selena knelt beside him on the seat her head on his shoulder, and arm on his leg. They watched intently for a bit but then Selena's mind was going elsewhere.

She began to move the hand on his leg until she brought her hand over his penis and felt his length as it grew. Joe tried to act as if nothing was happening and he was watching the show, but his penis was denying his indifference. She moved her hand to his zipper and pulled it down and reached into fish out his cock. She took her head off his shoulder and bent over his crotch taking his cock in her mouth.

Joe exhaled deeply as her warmth enveloped him. She sucked up hard and let it pop from her mouth.

"Do I have your attention now?" she asked before filling her mouth again.

He smiled at her, although she couldn't see, as he raised his hips in approval.

She bobbed her head rhythmically over his sensitive head and he began to get the clear notion that she had no intention of stopping. Joe saw her rearrange her dress and slide a hand between her legs.

Her wet mouthed sucking was making Joe crazy enough without her hunching up every few seconds as her own diddling between her legs was distracting her. Joe bent to one side her reach under her to help, but she brushed him aside. She clearly had a plan and Joe watching was part of it. It probably wasn't her plan to cum first but it was clear that she was getting there as one foot went to the floor to stilt her spasms. Joe seeing her pleasure was all he needed as he sucked in hard through his clenched teeth as the cum she churned had to find its way out. He just shot as she peaked and pressed her mouth down further with the intention of holding it there so she could concentrate on her orgasm. Joe's body went into a panic as she stopped the friction of her mouth and he immediately pumped his hips at her mouth to finish his pleasure ride. The second hard shot from his dick must have gone straight down her throat; he was so deep in her mouth. Her spasm let up and once again she bobbed her head, resisting the gag she felt compelled to do from his thrust, as he oozed into her mouth.

She must have felt one more orgasm was nigh as she came off his cock and laid back into the couch, her fingers dancing in her pussy with her panties pushed aside. Joe couldn't resist falling over and pushing his face into her honey pie and tonguing the spot her fingers rubbed. She came and swooned loudly as his mouth and her orgasm surprised her at the same time. She sucked a half breath before everything caught in her throat. She was turning crimson bearing down on that breath as the spasm ran through her entire body. She finally slammed her hands down on the arm and back of the sofa, pulling her crotch back from his mouth.

Joe relented and the two of them collapsed back into the sofa, Joe's face showing her tell tale wetness and his cum dibbling from her chin.

Joe's eyes scanned the room in his daze and met hers and they both smiled.

"My baby never seems to get enough. You are so sexy, you make such sweet love to me." Joe whispered.

"I look at you and I have to do something to show you how much I love you. Is that a sin?... and No, I will never have enough." She said, defending his innocent comment. "You don't have to do a thing. Just tasting you, feeling you in my mouth makes my pussy sing arias, and when you cum I just get... I can't even think of the words. When you love me and fill my body with your cock you make me crazy and take my breath and thoughts away, sending me to a nirvana few know. But let me have my pleasure with you that way. It's my special way of loving you so dearly, I guess."